


To Fólkvangr

by Luzula



Category: Travel Light - Naomi Mitchison
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luzula/pseuds/Luzula
Summary: Halla drops her cloak and goes with the Valkyries, but what next?
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	To Fólkvangr

**Author's Note:**

  * For [regshoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/regshoe/gifts).



> Regshoe, I hope you enjoy this! : ) Thanks to my beta reader, to be named later.

It was not at all like flying on dragon-back, which was the only way she had flown before. 

Most dragons were so large that when you sat on their back, they would hardly notice your weight, and you could sit very nicely along the crest, and hold on to it. 

And nothing like a soppy and sedate unicorn, either: this horse had spirit, and took off with a flying leap that made Halla gasp in pleasure and excitement. And then they were aloft, the great powerful wings pumping regularly as they climbed. 

'What's your name?' asked Halla. 

'I've only just been born,' said the horse. 'But I think I'd like to be Stormwind.' 

'I'm Halla,' she said politely. 'I hope I'm not too heavy for you?' 

'You're light as a feather—I can hardly feel you! I'm glad All-Father didn't saddle me with a great lunk like that,' said Stormwind and turned his head towards Steinvor, whose powerful shoulders could be glimpsed between the labouring wings of her horse. But she had a hero slung over the horse's withers, besides, so no wonder. 

'But you're sure you want to carry me? Just because All-Father wished you for me doesn't mean you have to, you know.' Halla thought of the race-horses at Micklegard, who many of them rather resented their riders. 

'Let's get to know each other and see, shall we? But I like you already, for asking.' Stormwind shook his black mane. 'Now let's see what we can do.' 

And he tilted his wings and dropped towards the ground, swooping down with a speed that left Halla feeling like her belly had been left behind. She cried out, half in fear, half in surprised delight, as Stormwind pulled up with a few powerful wingstrokes. 

'Did you like that?' he asked. 'I did.'

'Oh! I think I did, too. But give me some warning.' She clung to his neck. 

'All right, if you say so.' They climbed up again to the little flock of valkyries on horseback, the other horses giving Stormwind indulgent looks, as to a youngster playing around. 

'Do you like it, then?' asked Steinvor, grinning at her. 

'Oh, yes!' said Halla. 

'Should've come with us earlier.' 

Halla considered this. 'No, I don't think so—I don't regret going to Micklegard.' She would have said more, but the wind was blowing quite hard, streaming her hair out behind her, and she almost had to shout to be heard. 'Where are we going, then?' 

'To Fólkvangr! It's Freyja's turn to get heroes. She takes turns with All-Father, you know.' Steinvor's voice was clearly more suited to being heard above the wind. 

Halla had not known this, but she nodded. They climbed above the clouds, which had looked white and inviting as feather down, though they were cold like fog to fly through—but oh! when they emerged above them, and the sun shone on the billowing towers of them. How lovely they were; Halla had seen nothing like it before. 

They glimpsed a green field through a rift, and swooped down on it. The horses landed at a gallop, and there was the rhythm of hooves on grass, instead of the slower rhythm of flight. Finally they had stopped, and Halla slipped down. 

'Thank you,' she said to Stormwind. He was very beautiful, the grey shading into black at the hooves and mane and tail, and his nose looking so soft. The wings were grey, too, and he folded them over his back, with the great pinion feathers lying sleek and strong. 

'You're very welcome.' He looked around himself with interest—of course he had never been there either. 

'Halla!' said Steinvor, striding towards her. 'Come on, let me introduce you to the girls.' 

'So that's Halla!' said one of the other valkyries, a tall woman with her helmet under her arm, her braids long and blond. 'Nice to finally meet you.' 

'Why, have you heard of me?' asked Halla. 

'Steinvor has mentioned you once or twice. I'm Sigrún.' 

'And I'm Eir,' said another, shorter and more stocky. 'Are you getting in on the hero game?' 

'I don't know,' said Halla. 'I don't much like heroes—you see, I grew up among dragons.' 

A laugh went up. 'It's not that most of us really like heroes,' said Eir. 'More the fun of the chase. Though I admit, some of them can be fun in bed.' 

Sigrún wrinkled her nose. 'Too conceited, the lot of them.' She exchanged a playful glance with the woman next to her. 'Besides, I prefer women.' 

Halla, who had never really seen the point of this sort of thing, not when Matulli bear was courted by all the he-bears, and not when Tarkan Der told her they should get married, waited politely. Perhaps she would see the point of it some day, but if not, she had got along fine without it, so far. 

But she liked the camaraderie of the Valkyries, the easy back and forth, even if she wasn't sure she wanted to join them. They must have known each other for many years. 

'You don't have to decide now, about joining us,' said Steinvor. 'We've got to get these heroes to Freyja at Sessrúmnir, anyway.' She pointed towards a hall at the top of a hill, that Halla had strangely not noticed before, though it was quite close by. 

Steinvor and Eir had both got heroes, that were still hanging over their horses' withers. 

'Come along,' said Steinvor to the horses, who reluctantly left the rest of the herd, now grazing the lush green grass. 

Halla hesitated, looking at Stormwind. 'Oh, run along,' said the horse. 'If you call me I'll hear it.' 

So Halla went along with the other Valkyries, towards the shining hall. 

'They're dead?' she asked Steinvor, looking at the blood still dripping, thick and red, down along the hero's arm. 

'Oh, now they're dead. But this is the hall of the slain—well, one of them, the other's Valhalla— so they'll come to life again. Couldn't fight the last battle otherwise, you know.' 

Halla had met the Wanderer already; now she might meet Freyja as well, if she was home. And she was, for as they came to the entrance of the hall, there stood a tall woman, shining and golden like the hall. The giver of prosperity, the shaker of the earth, the lady of the slain. 

'You have heroes for me?' she said. 

'Yes, Valfreyja,' said Steinvor. Halla had never thought she would hear such respect in Steinvor's voice. She dragged the heroes down from the horses' backs, and Freyja reached out a finger to touch each hero in turn. 

They came to life and stood up, their wounds healed, and bowed deeply to her. 

'Now you shall get your reward,' said Freyja, smiling, and snapped her fingers towards the entrance of the hall. 

The two heroes bowed again, and entered. 

She turned to the Valkyries. 'And you, too, shall have a feast if you want.' 

A general cheer went up. As they entered the hall, Halla whispered to Steinvor, 'Where do the heroes go?' For she couldn't see them in the high-vaulted hall. 

'I'll show you, if you want,' said Steinvor, and took her to a door, through which they could see another hall. Round the long trestle table sat their two heroes, along with many others, more than Halla could count. As she watched, two of them raised their hands to each other, as if making a toast—but their hands were empty. 

'They're having a good time—or at least they think they are,' said Steinvor. 'You should see them sparring when they think they've got swords in their hands; it looks so funny.' 

When they turned back towards their own hall, there stood a table laden with food and drink. The scent of it made Halla's mouth water. But she held back a little, whispering, 'Is it real? Or are we just like the heroes?' 

Steinvor frowned. Clearly the thought had not quite occurred to her before. 'Well, we can see the heroes, and they can't see us,' she reasoned. 'Besides, when you've got the favour of a goddess, don't question it.' 

'Perhaps you're right.' 

The food was anyway delicious, and Halla ate with an appetite: stewed venison with lingonberries and roasted parsnips, rich dark rye-bread with salted butter, apples and plums, soft creamy white cheese, and the sweet brown cheese that was boiled from the whey. And all washed down with honey-mead. No, she wouldn't question it, and it filled her belly in a most satisfying way—just like the meal that All-Father had once given her. 

The Valkyries around her were talking and laughing and getting tipsy on mead. But Freyja's eyes, from the head of the table, alighted on Halla. 

'You're new, I think,' she said. 

'Yes. Although I don't know if I'm a Valkyrie, really.' 

'No, maybe not. But I can see All-Father's fingerprints all over you—you're a wanderer.' 

'I am,' said Halla. 

'You wouldn't like to settle down? I can offer you the sword, or the plow, or the hearth.' 

Halla found herself rather tongue-tied, and afraid to offend her. But Freyja laughed, a rich, rolling sound. 'You don't have to say yes.' 

'I think I'm not done wandering yet.' 

'Then go on wandering, if that's what you want.' 

Steinvor, who had been listening, asked, 'Where do you want to go, then?' 

'I'll have to ask Stormwind what he wants, too, if we're to go together,' said Halla. 'But I'd like to return up north. I didn't understand, when All-Father set me free to wander, that time would pass so, and I wonder what it's like there now. Didn't you say that there were no dragons there anymore?' 

'I can't say for sure, but I haven't seen or heard of any in a long time.' 

'And what about bears? Are there any bears left?' For Halla was thinking about Matulli-bear, as well as dear Uggi and his kin. 

'Oh—I haven't seen a bear in some time, either. But who knows?' 

'Do you want to come with me, then?' Halla asked, a little shyly. Maybe Steinvor would rather stay with the other Valkyries. 

'Why not?' said Steinvor. 'Might as well go that way as any other.' But, despite her off-hand manner, she seemed rather pleased to be asked. 'And there might be a chance at a hero or two, I suppose.' 

Freyja looked at them benevolently, and Halla considered asking her about the dragons and the bears, for surely she would know. But perhaps she would not answer, and in any case, she and Steinvor would discover it on their own.


End file.
